Pressure
by Shergar
Summary: After arresting one of two criminal brothers, Danny finds himself the target of the other one, who wants him dead. Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

Pressure

The alley was not the place he would have chosen to wait if he had had the choice. It was dirty and smelly and as the night wore on, it got cold, too. However, Detective Dan Williams didn't have a choice in the matter. The information they had received from one of his snitches earlier in the evening had promised them that the Johnston brothers, mainlanders that had recently come over to the island, would be at the hotel that night concluding a drug deal that would make them rich beyond the dreams of avarice. The snitch had been right often before and the Johnstons were a thorn in Five-O's side and Danny was now sitting in wait for them. Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakua were waiting at other exits and Steve McGarrett was covering inside the building. HPD back-up was nearby.

Time passed amazingly slowly. Danny had scared off or fended off a couple of homeless guys who claimed that he had stolen their favourite sleeping spot. His badge was no protection in this part of town, but his gun spoke volumes.

There was no knowing when this was going to go down. The Johnstons had a lot of pull and although the hotel bar had closed a couple of hours ago, they were probably still inside celebrating. That was a mixed blessing to the cops. A drunk man might be more easily arrested; or he might be drunk enough to cause a whole lot of mayhem and there was no guarantee that everyone would come out of the action unscathed.

Moving slightly to ease his cramped position behind a dumpster that was smelling worse with every passing minute, Danny almost missed the shout through the radio. "They're moving! Back door!"

_Back door_ – that was him. Danny scrambled to his feet as the door burst open and banged loudly off the wall. Several men erupted through the opening, pushing and shoving for position and Danny stepped into the small pool of light cast by a street lamp and raised his weapon. "Five-O! Stop right there!"

His words had no visible effect. The men kept moving, running at him at full speed and Danny realised that his gun was going to be more of a hindrance than a help in this situation and he tried to holster it as he was knocked off his feet by a man several inches taller and many pounds heavier than him.

Despite the hard landing, Danny grabbed for the man's ankle as he ran over the prone detective and succeeded in bringing him down. Forcing himself to his feet, still gasping for the air that had been knocked from his lungs, Danny threw himself down on the legs of the man he had toppled, hoping that help was just moments away, because he could see he had no chance of keeping the big guy down himself.

His captive was not going to stay down. He thrashed his legs violently, almost shaking Danny off onto the damp pavement. Gritting his teeth, Danny fumbled for his cuffs and managed to snag one meaty arm and snap the bracelet closed around the wrist. The arm was immediately yanked from his grasp and Danny sensed rather than saw the blow that was coming towards him, made all the more dangerous by the swinging handcuff. He ducked, while still trying to hang on to his prisoner. His gun had vanished somewhere in the melee and he just hoped that it had not been picked up by one of the fugitives.

The empty, swinging cuff caught him a glancing blow along his cheek and he felt a sharp pain as the skin spilt, but that was the least of his worries. The man was trying to throw him off and from the corner of his eye Danny spied his gun lying just beyond the reach of the big man. He knew that if the man managed to grab it he, Danny, was history. He lunged for the empty handcuff.

The big man batted Danny aside as though he were a fly. Danny rolled across the alley and collided heavily with the dumpster and sensed the man grabbing for the gun once more. Despite the ringing in his ears, Danny struggled to his feet and threw himself at the man again. His feet slipped on a piece of garbage and he fell slightly short.

It didn't matter. Help had arrived as a swarm of uniformed officers flooded the alley. "Police! Stop!" There was a positive volley of clicks as safeties were taken off as the big man tightened his grip on Danny's gun. For a second, it looked as though he would be foolish, but then common sense told him there was always a chance that he could beat this if he was alive. He carefully laid the gun down and put his hands up.

Catching his breath, Danny pulled the man's hands behind his back and finished handcuffing him. He sat down on the stinking ground and let his head fall between his knees. He felt absolutely pulped and exhausted. Various parts of his body started to lay claim to aches and pains and his cheek began to throb violently. He touched it gingerly and his fingers came away bloody.

"Danno!" Pounding footsteps indicated Steve McGarrett's arrival and he dropped to his knees beside his friend, worry etched on his face. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Danny assured him, glancing up. "Honestly, it's just scratches."

"It may be many things, but just a scratch is not one of them," Steve replied acerbically. He visually assessed his officer and realised that Danny wasn't seriously hurt, but he was still going to the hospital whether he liked it or not. "You don't clash with Jimmy Johnston and walk away unscathed, aikane."

"That was Jimmy Johnston?" Danny asked, staring after the big man who was being unceremoniously stuffed into the back of a squad car. He had never seen his opponent's face during the scuffle.

"The very same," Steve agreed as he helped Danny to his feet. Drawing his protégé down to the better lighting at the front of the hotel, he noticed a few more scrapes and some tears in Danny's clothing. "His brother Mickey got away, but we got a few of their men." He made a face. "We'll get Mickey before too long," he added. "Come on, Danny, I'll run you to the hospital."

"I don't need to go to the hospital," Danny protested automatically, although his face was very sore.

"You're still going," Steve insisted, not relinquishing his grip on Danny's upper arm. He didn't really think his second in command would do a runner, but he was pretty sure that Danny was feeling a tad unsteady on his feet, regardless of his protestations of perfect health. "Chin! Kono! Can you finish up here?"

"Sure thing, Boss," Chin agreed. "Danny, are you okay, bruddah?"

"I'm fine," Danny grumbled. He wished everyone would leave him alone so he could sit down quietly for a moment. "What about my gun? Johnston had it."

"You'll get it back tomorrow," Steve assured him. "It's evidence at the moment." He glanced at his other men. "I'll get Danny's statement once he's been checked out at the hospital. Once you're finished here, head on home."

"Got it, Boss," Kono acknowledged. He gave Danny a friendly pat that almost knocked him over. "Feel better, bruddah."

"Yeah," Danny agreed dazedly as Steve towed him towards the car. One day, he mused distractedly, Kono was going to do him a real injury.


	2. Chapter 2

"There's nothing too serious," the ER doctor informed Steve an hour or so later. "The worst injury was the cut on the cheek. We've stitched that and I dare say he'll end up with a black eye, but everything else is superficial."

"Thanks, doc," McGarrett replied, relieved at the news.

"Take him home and scrub him under a hot shower," the doctor suggested, a hint of disdain in his voice. "I've treated tramps that smelt better than he does."

"You spend several hours in an alleyway on a stakeout and see how nice you smell at the end of it!" Steve retorted, annoyed at the inference. He added a glare to his words and the young doctor actually took a step backwards. Not deigning to say anything more, Steve stepped past him and into the room where Danny was slowly tugging his shirt on again. "How are you feeling?" Steve asked.

"Like I could sleep for a week," Danny replied and flashed a grin at his friend. "But my boss is a slave-driver and I have to be at work by 8am." It was well past 3am.

"On this one occasion, he might be persuaded to let you sleep in," Steve replied in a long-suffering tone. He would rather that Danny took the day off, but there was too much to do with the Johnston case, including finding the other brother. "Tell me what happened."

There wasn't a huge amount to tell and Danny did it quickly and efficiently. Steve took notes and Danny signed the notebook page. By then, he was dressed and ready to go. He wished the doctor had offered him some scrubs to wear, as his own clothing smelt disgusting. "Let's go," he suggested.

Together, they walked to Steve's car. Danny's LTD was parked in the hotel car park and he knew he would have to retrieve it the next day. He sat gingerly in Steve's car and closed his eyes. The next thing he knew, he was being gently shaken awake. "We're at your apartment, aikane," Steve told him, looking at him with concern. "Do you want me to come up with you?"

"No, I'm fine," Danny replied heartily, trying to cover his embarrassment at having fallen asleep so quickly. "I need a shower and some sleep. I'm fine."

"All right," Steve agreed. "I'll get someone to bring your car to the Palace in the morning. You sleep as long as you need to and come in when you're ready."

"I won't be too late," Dan promised. "Night, Steve – and mahalo."

"Good night, Danno," Steve replied. "You're welcome. Good work tonight." He patted his second's shoulder.

"Night," Danny mumbled, the praise making him feel unaccountably shy. He slid from the car and stumbled to his front door.

It was tempting to just throw himself down on the bed and sleep, but his own smell offended him and he stripped off his malodourous clothing and stepped under the steaming water. A good scrub later and he was more than ready for bed. He slipped on a pair of pyjama bottoms and slid under the sheet. He barely remembered even laying his head on the pillow before he drifted off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was about 9.30am when Danny stirred. He cracked open one eye – the other refused to cooperate – and looked at the clock. He still felt a bit tired, but judged he'd had enough sleep to be getting on with the day. he eased slowly out of bed, taking it carefully to find out which bits of him would protest, but he felt a lot better than he had a few short hours before.

After another shower – the smell was either lingering in his nose or the clothes he had had on were even stinkier than he first thought – he had managed to pry his swollen eye slightly open. He looked horrific, but there was nothing he could do about that. A square bandage hid the stitches on his cheek. He shaved with utmost care and, carrying his suit jacket and tie, headed off to get a cab to take him to the Palace.

He hadn't got any further than the stairs when he stopped and sniffed. He thought he had smelt something… smoke? Glancing around, sniffing, he felt the smoke coming up through the vents and the stairwell. Smoke! Something must be burning.

It might be no more than someone's burnt breakfast, but Danny was taking no chances. He dashed back towards his apartment and hit the fire alarm box on the wall. Then he quickly banged on all the doors, shouting "Fire!" as loudly as he could. He knew that most of his neighbours would be out at work at this time of day, but he didn't know who was likely to have a day off and be still at home.

The smoke grew thicker as he headed down the stairs. He knew that he should get out and leave the banging on doors stuff to the fire department and he fully planned to do just that, but as he reached the next floor down, he spotted movement from the corner of his eye and stopped. Slightly further along, he spotted an elderly woman that he vaguely recognised as his downstairs neighbour's visiting mother.

Yanking open the door between the stairs and the corridor, he hurried along to her. "Come on," he urged. "I'll help you."

Clearly scared by the thick smoke swirling around her, the old lady nodded and grasped his arm. Danny tried to hurry her along, but her pace was slow. Danny put his arm around her and half-lifted her, but she was heavier than she looked and the smoke was growing thicker. They were both coughing now and Danny's eyes were watering as he squinted through the smoke. There! There was the door to the stairs.

Cautiously, he opened it and breathed in the slightly fresher air. "Come on, we're almost there," Danny coughed, but the old lady had reached the end of her endurance and slumped to the floor, the smoke overcoming her. Danny barely caught her as she fell and he went down with her, too.

The air was clearer nearer the ground and he got a couple of good lungfuls of air before he pulled the lady into his arms. Staggering under the burden, he leaned his shoulder against the wall and carefully picked his way downstairs. He was coughing steadily now and the world was not completely in focus.

At the landing, Danny stopped. He didn't think he could take another step, but he had to get out and he was not leaving this lady behind while he did so. He coughed violently and his knees started to buckle. By sheer effort of will, he forced them to lock.

Suddenly, a person appeared from out of the swirling smoke, with another just behind. The firefighter in the lead gently took the lady from Danny's arms and as Danny started to sag again – this time in relief – the second firefighter grabbed Danny's arm and supported him down the last flight of steps and out into the blazing sunshine.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

"Danno!"

Opening his eyes and squinting against the light, Danny spotted Steve pushing his way through the crowds to his side where he lay on a gurney. The oxygen supplied by the firefighters had helped to clear his head, but the doctor who had turned up on scene insisted he should go into the hospital for a quick check up and Danny's hoarse voice was not up to winning the argument. "Steve."

"Are you all right?" Steve demanded, taking in his soot-covered detective with some concern. Finding Danny awake and with no obvious burns took some weight off his mind, but until he heard from someone who knew these things, he wouldn't believe his friend had come through this ordeal unscathed. The alert from HPD that Danny's apartment building was on fire had almost stopped his heart.

"I'm fine," Danny assured him and the doctor agreed.

"He just needs to be checked over."

"What happened?" Steve asked, glancing at the hoses that snaked into the building behind them.

"Don't know," Danny replied. He looked at the doctor. "How's the lady?"

"She's going to be fine in a few days," the doctor replied. He nodded to the attendants and Danny and the woman were loaded into the ambulance. Steve promised to join Danny at the hospital in a short time. As the ambulance drew away, Steve looked around for the fire captain and went over to him. "Any idea how this started?" he asked.

"As it happens, yes," the captain replied. "Good thing you're here. The fire was started by someone stuffing something that I suspect will be a type of Molotov cocktail through a door. From what I understand, it was the same apartment that the lady came out of."

"Which one is that?" Steve asked, glancing at the building. He automatically looked up at Danny's smoke-marred windows.

"That one," the captain replied, pointing to the one directly below Danny's.

"Thank you," Steve replied. "Send me your report as soon as you can. I'll alert a lab team to search the apartment as soon as you say it is safe." The captain nodded and turned his attention back to the clean-up.

Deeply disturbed, Steve got into his car and headed for the hospital – again.


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm fine," Danny insisted as they left the hospital an hour or so later. His breathing had cleared under oxygen treatment and he had no burns at all. Despite the clean bill of health, Steve was agitating for his second to go home and rest. "Besides," Danny added, "is my apartment habitable?"

That was something that had not occurred to Steve, either. He didn't really know much about the effects of smoke on properties, but from the looks of the smoke-smeared windows that stuck in his memory, he doubted that Danny would be going back home today at least. He made a mental note to find out about that and then it occurred to him that Danny would need some new clothes. The suit pants and dress shirt he was wearing were smudged with soot and smelt strongly of smoke. Quite what had happened to the suit jacket, Steve did not enquire. He was pretty sure Danny would not know either. "All right," he capitulated. "You can come back to the office. But first, we're going to get you some new clothes."

"Steve…" Danny thought that clothes shopping was a waste of time, but then he glanced down at himself and realised how dirty and dishevelled he was. "All right." He wondered how much cash he had on him and if he would have to make a stop at the bank to get some more out to pay for this, but Steve swept him along without allowing him time to object and when he left the store with a bag of clothes to last for several days, he had not spent a single red cent. Steve, waving aside any objections, had paid for the lot.

Back at the Palace, Danny went to shower and change into something clean and Steve called the fire department. The chief he spoke to confirmed what the captain at the scene had suspected; there had been an accelerant used and from what they had found so far, it was spread across most of the top two floors of the building. It was arson. The fire crew was still on the scene and would be for a while longer, making sure that the fire would not flare up again. The police lab team was waiting at the scene for entry.

Steve had barely put the phone down before the door opened and May stuck her head in the door. "Steve, this was just delivered," she said and put an envelope down on his desk. Her tone was subdued and Steve, glancing at it, saw exactly what had May so disturbed. In addition to the fact it had been hand delivered there was a crude drawing on the front of a burning building.

"Get someone up here from the lab right now," Steve ordered. He only belatedly realised that May had handled the envelope using her handkerchief.

"Already on the way," May replied.

"Keep Danno out of here if you…" Steve stopped, for it was already too late. Danny, his hair still damp from the shower, was standing in the office looking perplexed.

"What is it?" he asked and stepped forward. His eye fell on the envelope and his face drained of colour.

"Sit down," Steve urged and the shaken man did as he was told.

"Mickey Johnston?" he asked after a few moments. "So the fire wasn't an accident."

"No, it wasn't," Steve agreed, not answering the first question. He was sure that Johnston would be at the back of this, but he refused to speculate until they had the proof. "But we don't know that Mickey Johnston was at the back of it. He could just be cashing in on the fire."

"How do you know the fire at the apartment building wasn't an accident?" Danny asked.

"The captain at the scene suspected it and the chief confirmed it," Steve replied. "We're still waiting for full details."

"So it could have been Johnston," Danny concluded. His colour had returned now. It disturbed him that his neighbours were now homeless for a period because of him. He could not have known that Johnston would go after him and certainly could not have known that the whole building would be at risk, but he felt guilty all the same. Until Johnston was caught, going home – if he was ever allowed to do that – would be out of the question. A hotel would eat substantially into his budget, but he couldn't risk going to staying with any of his friends. He didn't want disaster brought upon their lives, too. "Why is he targeting me?"

"That I don't know," McGarrett admitted, although it wasn't easy to say. He was spared any further questions as Che Fong himself arrived to dust the note for fingerprints.

There were few prints to be found. Most were smudged and only a couple stood out. Che thought that he would find they belonged to the janitor who had brought the note upstairs. Carefully, they opened the envelope.

The printing on the note was crude but legible.

Roasting the pig was just a warning. You have 24 hours to release my brother. If you do that, Williams will live. If you don't, he will die a slow and painful death. I am everywhere.

"That sort of says it all," Danny commented after a few stunned moments.

"It's not going to happen," Steve declared. "We're not going to release Jimmy Johnston and Mickey is not going to kill you, Danno. We're going to get him."

"Sure, Steve," Danny agreed. He knew what his boss was trying to do and appreciated it. Still, it wasn't pleasant being confronted by a threat like that and he knew that if he had not wakened when he did that morning, he might not have wakened at all.

As Che left to chase up the prints on the note, Chin came into the outer office. He looked relieved to see Danny, but there was something else in his eyes that warned both detectives that his news was something they were not going to like. "Danny I'm glad to see you're okay, bruddah," Chin told him. "But I got some bad news."

"What is it?" Danny asked, thinking that perhaps his neighbour's mother had died from the smoke inhalation.

"Your snitch, Benny? The one who set up the Johnstons?" Chin hardly needed to say anything else, but he carried on. "HPD just found him dead."


	4. Chapter 4

The body was not the first that Danny had seen and he had little doubt that it would not be the last either, but it was certainly one of the more gruesome. Danny crouched by the remains and looked at the note that was pinned to the chest, telling Danny that he was responsible for Benny's death. The money that he had given Benny was scattered on top of the body, stained with blood. Since the raid was successful, Danny had been due to meet with Benny that very evening to give him the other half of the cash he had promised.

Rising, Danny exchanged glances with Steve and then nodded to the crime lab that he had seen enough. They moved in to efficiently process the scene before the coroner took the body for autopsy. "Poor Benny," Danny said softly. "He overheard the right thing for us, but the wrong thing for him."

There was nothing McGarrett could say to refute that, so he just laid his hand on Danny's shoulder in silent sympathy. The snitches they used knew that if they fingered someone powerful, they might well get hurt or killed, but for most of them, the money they got from the cops was their most regular income. Benny was somewhere in late middle age and had been on the streets for most of his life. Danny knew no more about him. He kept his past private and now he was dead.

"Let's go," Steve suggested after a few moments.

Silently, Danny followed behind him. Benny's death made finding Mickey even harder than it had been before. One snitch's death tended to make the others go into hiding. Mickey and Jimmy, for all they had not been on the island that long, had instilled terror into everyone. Danny didn't speak all the way back to the Palace. Steve cast him several anxious glances, but didn't speak either.

All four detectives gathered in Steve's office when they got back. "What've we got?" Steve asked.

"The place the Johnstons were staying is empty," Kono reported. "All their stuff is gone." He shrugged eloquently. "Ain't nobody seen nothing."

"Che checked on those prints on the note and they were from the downstairs janitor," Chin told them. "He found it on the desk in the lobby. He never saw anyone leaving it." He glanced at his notebook. "The fire chief called and said that they had found traces of an accelerant in several places in Danny's apartment building. A burning rag had been thrown through the door of the apartment directly below Danny's."

"The apartment below?" Danny asked sharply. "That doesn't make sense."

"According the fire chief it does," Chin replied. "He says that in buildings like yours, the fire climbs the walls quickly inside the apartments. You would have died from the smoke before the fire got to you, but your apartment would have burned out completely before the fire crews could get it out." He gave Danny a sober look. "You'd have been a crispy critter, as the fire-boys say."

"So why is Mickey targeting Danno particularly?" Steve asked. "We were all there."

"It was my snitch," Danny replied. "And I'm the one who took Jimmy down." He shrugged. "It's my fault that Jimmy got caught."

McGarrett eyed Danny thoughtfully. There was no doubt in his mind that Danny had just nailed the reason right on the head. "We already know that Mickey is determined to get his brother back. I want extra vigilance on him, just to be sure he doesn't slip through our fingers somehow. Have we heard when he goes to court?"

"Day after tomorrow," Chin replied. "Walter Stuart called the office earlier."

"All right. We know that Mickey wants Jimmy out of prison by tomorrow. That isn't going to happen. I want a 24 hour watch on you, Danno. Don't go anywhere alone, do you understand? No heroics! We can put Jimmy away without your testimony, but I don't intend to do that. You will be there the day after tomorrow." He fixed Danny with a stern eye.

Much as he hated to be cooped up and followed around, Danny nodded. It wasn't worth arguing over and besides, there was a tiny, persistent itch between his shoulder blades, as though someone was watching him. "Yeah, all right."

"What's the coconut wireless saying?" Steve asked.

"Nothing," Chin replied. "Everyone is too scared to say anything."

"Mickey is still here," Kono advised. "We've got the airport and the docks under surveillance and the coast guard is patrolling the perimeter of the rock."

"Good." Steve paused to think.

"Since we picked up the Johnstons' drug supply last night, there are going to be quite a few users going without today, aren't there?" Danny asked.

"Probably," McGarrett agreed. "What do you have in mind?"

"Some of the smaller dealers, the ones that the Johnstons squeezed out, are going to be scoring today, aren't they?" Danny's mind was racing. "If we can grab a couple of users, we might be able to find out where Mickey usually deals from, apart from his place. There's bound to be somewhere else. After all, we haven't seen a steam of users turning up at their place, have we? And there's always the chance that if we squeeze the right dealer, we might find out where Mickey is going to get his next consignment from." He already had a dealer in mind.

"Good thinking," Steve agreed. "All right, Danno, you do that. Kono, you go with him and remember what I said – no heroics!"

"No heroics," Danny promised and Kono nodded.

"I still think you'd be easier to look after in the HPD lock-up," Kono told Danny as they left the room and Steve could not help but smile. Kono might have a point there.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

Stakeouts could be incredibly frustrating. Danny sat in the passenger side of the car and drummed his fingers on the hot metal of the door, his elbow out of the window. Kono had wanted the car windows closed, but after a few short minutes in the baking sun, he agreed that the glass would not stop a bullet anyway and it was far too hot to have the windows up.

"Who we waiting for?" Kono asked for at least the third time.

"I told you," Danny replied. "I know him as Don, but I'm sure that's not his name. He's thin, looks to be about 15 years old and is usually dressed in jeans and sneakers. Blond hair. Don't let his looks fool you, though. He's at least 25 and he's been a pusher for years." Danny had busted him when he was with HPD and Don had somehow managed to wriggle out of the charge, pleading that he was still a child and had been led astray by older youths. The judge, notoriously soft-hearted with juveniles, had bought the sob-story, even though Don at the time was at least 20. He was given community service and didn't bother to show up. It wasn't an uncommon story. When Danny finally caught up with the pusher again, Don had given him a good tip on a murder and Danny had agreed to look the other way for the moment, as long as Don kept supplying him with information.

"I don't know how you find all these guys," Kono grumbled.

"I don't have a big family network like you do," Danny retorted, grinning. "I have to work with who I find under the rocks." Kono seemed to have relatives everywhere and Chin was much the same. "There he is." Danny unconsciously sat up straighter.

"You sure he's 25?" Kono asked, looking at the skinny child that Danny indicated.

"He could be older for all I know," Danny admitted. "I told you not to let his looks fool you." He watched Don find a good place on the street, visible enough for those who wanted to find him, but with a convenient alley to give him a getaway should he need it. "Let's go," he suggested.

Don spotted them the moment they got out of the car. He froze as Danny pointed at him, his face showing clearly that he was less than happy to have a pair of detectives cornering him, especially now. Danny kept his gaze on Don as they crossed the road. "Don."

"Mr Williams." Close to, Kono could see that Don was older than he looked from a distance. He stood behind Danny and kept a close eye on his surroundings as this was not the most salubrious of areas, never mind the threat against Danny.

"You know what I want, Don," Danny said. "Where's Mickey Johnston going to get his stuff now?"

"I dunno," Don whined. "Please, Mr Williams, I dunno."

"Don't give me that!" Danny snapped. "Come on, or this time I will take you back to court." He grabbed Don's arm just to emphasise his words.

"He gets extra stuff from a warehouse down the docks," Don stuttered.

"There are lots of warehouses and lots of docks," Danny shot back. "I'll let Detective Kalakua have a go at you if you don't tell me." Kono drew himself up and tried to look intimidating.

Whimpering that Danny wasn't playing fair, Don finally stuttered out an address in the industrial area of the docks. It was, of course, the roughest, most dangerous area where a lot of the warehouses were waiting for redevelopment. "This information had better be good, Don," Danny warned him, "or I will let Detective Kalakua deal with you."

With that parting shot, Danny turned away, leaving the pusher all but snivelling on the corner. Kono followed obediently. Both men felt besmirched by their contact with the pusher. Danny was sorely tempted to just take him in anyway, but now was not the time for side trips. They needed to find Mickey Johnston and they needed to find him now.

A shot rang out and a bullet kicked up dust at Danny's feet. "Get down!" Kono yelled, throwing himself onto Danny and forcing the smaller man to the ground and covering him with his own body. Another bullet sang overhead and Kono dragged Danny across the ground to the comparative safety of the car. they both drew their guns and peered over the hood, but there was no more shooting.

They remained behind the car for several more minutes until they were convinced that the shooter had gone. By then, sirens were drawing near and Danny slid down to sit with his back against the car, letting out a shaky breath of relief that neither he nor Kono had been hit. He glanced across the street and felt his heart stop. "Kono."

At the strangled voice, Kono glanced down anxiously, suddenly terrified that Danny had been hit. "What?" he gasped and then followed the direction of Danny's gaze. "Auwe!" Kono exclaimed.

Crumpled on the ground was the obviously dead body of Don.


	5. Chapter 5

"The warehouse was empty," Chin reported. "The lab boys are going over it with a fine-toothed comb, but we don't think any drugs were ever there."

The four detectives were once again gathered in Steve's office, wearily tucking into Chinese take-out.

"Don was set up," Danny observed bitterly. "Mickey fed him false information and killed him as a warning." Mickey had audaciously rung the Five-O offices personally to tell them he was responsible for the shooting before Dan had even managed to contact Steve to tell him what had happened. "He's toying with me."

"Word on the streets is that talking to Danny is big pilikia, boss," Kono reported, have gleaned this information from one of his cousins.

"Mickey has to be somewhere," Steve stormed. "He can't just disappear."

"HPD are asking at all the hotels," Chin offered. "He might have the gall to book into one of them."

"I hope he hasn't had better luck at finding a room than I have," Danny groused in an undertone. He hadn't meant for his comment to be for general consumption, but it was.

"You're staying with me, Danno," Steve commented. Everyone who heard that statement knew that it was as set in stone as one of the tablets Moses had brought down from the mountain.

Everyone but Danny it seemed. He opened his mouth to protest, but Steve simply kept talking. "Your apartment will have to be redecorated and you'll probably have to get new furniture. The smoke damage was pretty bad. May has already spoken to your insurer and there won't be a problem with your claim." He glanced up at the slightly stunned younger man opposite him. "What?" he asked. "Did you really think you could just move straight back in after a fire? You might even want to take this chance to move somewhere new. Oh and May has arranged for someone to collect your clothing and personal belongings and have them cleaned for you."

"Thank you," Danny replied, sounding rather dazed. He hadn't given a single thought to any of those things, but it had been rather a rollercoaster of a day and it was not over yet. Steve simply tipped his head in acknowledgement of the thanks. May had suggested it and when Steve had indicated he thought it was a good idea, she had run with it. To Steve, nothing more needed to be said.

They finished eating and Kono collected the empty boxes and took them out to the trash. Danny rose and went to look at the board to see if he could see something new from the information that was there. He yawned.

Feeling somewhat lethargic himself now that he had eaten, and knowing that it was going to be a long night, Chin rose and left to put on some fresh coffee. The pot that was currently there was stewed beyond hope of redemption. Steve, also feeling the urge for an after dinner nap, got to his feet and opened the windows, letting in the warm, plumeria-scented evening air.

The fresh air drew Danny like a moth to a flame. He headed over to take some deep, cleansing breaths as Steve turned back into the room, already feeling fresher and more awake. It was a good idea, he decided.

Something sailed into the room, barely missing Steve, and exploded on the floor. Clouds of gas rose and immediately, both detectives felt the tell-tale prickle in their eyes and noses. "Tear gas!" Danny cried and dug frantically in his pants pockets for a non-existent handkerchief.

Engaged in a similar search, Steve had more luck. He had felt the missile singing past his ear and there was something about that that clamoured for his attention, but, coughing heavily already, his eyes streaming uncontrollably, he had no leisure to think about it. They had to get out of the office until the air cleared.

The handkerchief helped filter the gas a little. Steve staggered towards the door, sure that Danny, invisible to all intents and purposes because of the gas and the tears, was already outside in the clearer air. Next moment, Steve collided with his second, who had just bumped bruisingly into the corner of Steve's desk. They both staggered and Steve, more by luck than design, managed to catch Danny's sleeve and stabilise them both.

By now, Chin and Kono were well aware of what was going on. Both took a few second to soak their own handkerchiefs in water before funning into the reeking inner office. Steve emerged from the gas, steering Dan with one hand, while holding the other over his face. Kono grabbed Danny and Chin grabbed Steve and they hurried from Steve's office, through the outer office and into the lobby where the air was blessedly clear. Steve sank down on the steps to try and catch his breath. Kono, one meaty hand still holding Danny by the arm, lowered the second in command down beside Steve before he hurried off to get some wet towels to wipe off their faces. Chin crouched worriedly beside them, but both were starting to recover already. "Are you all right?" Chin asked.

Predictably, they both nodded. Steve was recovering faster and the wet towel Kono brought helped the process along. Danny, who had not had even the minimal protection that Steve had had, took a few minutes longer to come to himself.

"Mickey!" McGarrett growled, his voice hoarse. He gingerly sipped the water he was offered. His throat was raw. "I think you should get checked out at the hospital, Danno," he added, thinking of the smoke inhalation Danny had suffered earlier.

"I'm fine," Danny snapped, equally hoarsely.

"I think you should both go," Chin declared. Danny smiled at that, but Steve scowled.

"Why didn't you cover your face?" Steve asked, realising that Danny did not have a crumpled bit of fabric clutched in his hand.

"Because you didn't buy me any handkerchiefs," Danny shot back. He had piles of them at home, because there was no doubt they came in useful for all sorts of things in police work, but it hadn't occurred to either of them to buy some this morning.

For some reason, that struck McGarrett as funny and he started to laugh. After a moment, so did Danny. Chin and Kono exchanged glances and Kono mouthed the word 'pupule'. Chin whole-heartedly agreed. Still, the laughter relieved the tension.

Getting to their feet, they tentatively went back into the office. The open windows had cleared the gas and Steve was careful to close them almost to. It was only as they bent over to examine the small projectile that Steve remembered it whizzing past his ear. "Mickey!" he said again.

"It couldn't be anyone else," Danny agreed. Kono used his handkerchief – with a big flourish to rub it in to Danny that he had one – to pick it up and put it in an evidence bag.

"He had to be close, though," Steve mused, his mind working. He closed his eyes to try and bring his swirling thoughts into order. "I was over here," he went on, crossing to the windows. "Danno, you were…" He pointed and Danny obliged by standing there. "The missile came past me about here." Steve put his hand just above his shoulder. "Where could Mickey have been to throw it at that angle?"

Following an invisible line with his mind's eye, Danny moved closer to the windows, ignoring Chin's slightly anxious half-formed grab for him. "Just outside," Danny realised. "In those trees?" He whirled around. "Let's take a look!"

"Not you!" Steve ordered. "Chin and Kono can do it. Keep alert, gentlemen. We don't know what Mickey has up his sleeve, but I don't want anything happening to either of you."

"Right, Steve," Chin agreed and he and Kono hurried out.


	6. Chapter 6

A thorough search of the grounds revealed no clues. It was now almost 11pm and time was ticking away from them too quickly. Steve was quite willing to stay up all night working on this case, but he could see that Danny, particularly, was tired and he had had a trying day. Curbing his impatience, Steve announced, "We've done all we can for now. Let's reconvene back here at 6.30am and see what we can come up with when we're fresh."

For a moment, he thought Danny was going to object, but as Chin and Kono leapt to their feet with alacrity, he smothered whatever protest he was going to make. "Want us to follow you home, boss?" Kono asked.

"No," Steve denied. "Mickey is long gone. You get off home." He rose and closed the windows and Danny picked up his suit jacket and shrugged into it. "Ready?" Steve asked.

"I'll just pick up my clothes," Danny replied and a few moments later, they locked the doors behind them.

Knowing that he was a target made Danny feel rather uneasy as they walked down the steps to Steve's car. They could be as cautious as possible, but there was always a chance for a sniper to take him down. There was no cover at the front of the Palace. However, they made the car safely and were soon on the move.

They didn't talk. Danny gazed out of the side window, his mind just drifting as the long day caught up with him. Steve was still thinking about how they could find Mickey. The man was growing bolder as the 24 hours raced past. The tear gas had not done them any real harm, but he had shown that he was watching them closely and the gas grenade could just as easily have been another Molotov cocktail. Mickey was determined to get his brother back. Steve was determined that Jimmy would stay in jail and Mickey would be joining him! And the other thing Steve was determined about was that Danny was not going to die during the operation.

It suddenly occurred to him that a pair of headlights had been in his rear view mirror for several minutes now. That wasn't entirely unusual, but Steve's senses were on the alert and the last thing he wanted to do was lead Mickey straight to his apartment. Casually, he indicated and turned left. The headlights followed him. Steve drove sedately along, for him, before abruptly turning right without any warning. The headlights followed him as Steve mashed the accelerator to the floor, sending the big Mercury powering through the streets.

"What's going on?" Danny asked, reaching for his seatbelt.

"Someone's following us," Steve replied.

Reaching for the mic, Danny contacted HPD dispatch and requested back up. Kono responded, saying he was on the way, but it would take him several minutes to reach their position. Dispatch sent cars, too.

By now, Steve was heading out of town. There was less danger to innocent lives that way and he had more chance of shaking Mickey off. Ideally, back-up would intercept the car following them and Mickey would no longer be a problem. However, Steve was enough of a realist to know that ideal scenarios seldom came to pass. He concentrated on his driving.

They were out of town by now and Steve pushed the car to even greater speeds. Danny reported their position every few minutes, but there was still no sign of the promised back-up. Mickey was catching up to them.

Something flashed across the road in front of them – a small animal of some kind – and Steve instinctively lifted his foot up and swerved to miss it. He regained control immediately, but those few seconds were enough for Mickey to ram the back of the big car.

Fighting the wheel, Steve tried to accelerate away again, but he had lost the advantage. Mickey rammed them again, this time not hitting the big car square on, but slightly off-centre. It was enough to send the Mercury into a spin. Steve fought the wheel as they skidded across the pavement. Somewhere deep inside, he knew this was a losing battle; the car was just too heavy, but he refused to give up the fight as long as there was breath in his body.

There was another collision and the car tipped, rolling once over the side of the road before coming to rest against a tree. Neither man moved.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Not quite unconscious, Danny knew that he ought to be doing something, but he was too dazed to figure out what it was. He was desperately uncomfortable. His seat belt cut into his body and his brain felt shaken up. Moving was not in his purview at that moment, although he was not sure why. His face rested on something hard and he carefully turned his head.

Slumped over the steering wheel, Steve McGarrett was unconscious, blood running down his face from a cut above his eye. "Steve!" Danny's cry was lost in the hissing from the burst radiator and the cacophony inside his head. He reached out for his friend and his arm brushed Steve's sleeve. There was no response.

Clarity was returning, but slowly. Danny knew he had to get them some help, but for a few seconds, h could not figure out how to do that. Then he remembered – the mic. He thought he had had it in his hand, but it wasn't there now and when he tried to sit up to look for it, he couldn't move. His side of the car was hard up against a tree and the metal had caved in around him. Pain shot through his body and for a moment, he thought he would be sick.

The feeling was forgotten as a shadow appeared on the edge of his vision. Help was there! He could relax; they would soon be free. But as Danny squinted at their rescuer, he realised that it was not help – it was Mickey. His heart skipped a beat and a surge of adrenalin allowed him to lift his head to face the man he was sure was there to execute him. "Mickey!" he growled.

"Oh good, you're still alive," Mickey replied. That seemed rather odd to Dan, but he had no time to think any further about it. "I'm glad to see that. Now listen good, pig. I'm going to take your boss here. At 10am, you'll meet me at Kapiolani Bandstand and you'll have my brother. We can do a swap – McGarrett for Jimmy. If you don't bring him, I'm going to kill McGarrett and then I'll kill you."

"Five-O don't negotiate," Danny growled, but Mickey seemed indifferent to that threat. He yanked the unconscious chief from the car and even adrenalin could not help Danny stop him. "No!" he shouted, as Mickey beckoned to someone and between them, they picked up Steve and vanished from site.

Struggling futilely, Danny was unable to free himself. He felt no pain now; his sole focus was on getting free from the car and finding Steve before the 10am deadline.


	7. Chapter 7

Anxious enquiries were issuing from the radio. Surprised that it was still working, Danny felt around for the mic. The sooner someone got to him, the sooner he could find Steve. Looking for the mic was beyond him at that moment, because his head swam every time he moved it. He finally found the mic and responded, but he wasn't sure how coherent he was because the voices calling for him – chiefly Kono's, but joined by Chin's – sounded even more concerned after he answered them.

While he waited for rescue to arrive, Danny fought to free himself from the wreckage. His right arm came free easily and the numbness that had convinced his muddled brain that he was trapped dissolved into fearsome pins and needles.

His legs had plenty of feeling in them and he could feel that the side of the car was pressing against them. On the other side, his legs were pressed against the centre consol. Something – blood he presumed – was trickling slowly down his right leg. He was certain that nothing was broken, but because of the damage to the car and the knock on the head, Danny couldn't lean down to have a look. In fact, so far, he had not managed to raise his head off the dashboard.

"Danny! Danny!" The shouts seemed to come from above and Danny squinted through the cracked, spider-webbed windshield to see flashlights panning the area.

"Here!" He didn't know if his voice carried or not, but the beams of light were now trained on the car.

"Danny! Are you all right? Where's Steve?" Kono was peering in the open driver's door with concern etched on his face. "Call an ambulance," he ordered over his shoulder.

"I'm fine," Danny protested. He knew how ridiculous that statement was when he was slumped on the dash, but he forged on. "Mickey took Steve!"

"Auwe!"

"We've to take Jimmy to the Kapiolani Bandstand at 10am and Mickey will give us Steve back." Danny's words were all but falling over themselves as he tried to get the important news out.

"Easy," Chin soothed as Kono stretched into the wreckage to free Danny's legs. "We'll get Steve back. Is he hurt?" Chin thought that saying the words was a lot easier than putting them into action would be.

"He was unconscious," Danny replied and tried to muffle a strangled cry as Kono released the seatbelt and got his legs free. "We have to find him before then," he gasped, trying to remain conscious.

"Shh." Chin tried to calm the agitated younger man. "We'll find him."

"Danny, bruddah, I'm gonna move you," Kono warned him. "It's gonna hurt."

"Yeah, it doesn't matter." Danny was more than ready to be out of that car. He had to find Steve!

Moving was excruciatingly painful. A cry escaped from Danny's lips, but Kono kept pulling as gently as he could, but knowing that stopping would be a bad idea. Danny's head lolled and the big Hawaiian dared to hope that his friend had fainted, but the strangled noises and the pained panting told him otherwise.

"Watch his leg," Kono panted as the Chinese detective reached for Danny's legs.

"Broken?" Chin asked, hesitating.

"Don't know, but he's bleeding." Kono caught his breath as Chin gingerly took Danny's legs, grimacing as he unintentionally hurt his friend. Together, the two men carried Danny up to the road as their friend tried to keep his cries of pain under control.

"Steve," Danny mumbled as they carefully laid him down. They exchanged a worried glance.

"I can hear the ambulance," a patrolman told them.

That was a relief. Danny was clearly dazed and blood was soaking through his pants leg, but it was difficult to tell how badly he was hurt. Steve was missing and both detectives knew that Danny would not rest until he found their boss or came up with a plan to rescue him while also arresting Micky Johnston. But was Danny fit to do either of those things? Kono beckoned to the patrolman. "I want you to get back down there and check to make sure Mr McGarrett isn't lying injured amongst the trees," he ordered quietly. It wasn't that he doubted what Danny had told him; it was just that he had to make sure he had covered all bases, just in case Danny' head injury was worse than it seemed. If Steve had been thrown from the car… Kono was not sure which thought was worse; Steve kidnapped by Mickey Johnston or lying injured and undiscovered.

The search was still on-going as Danny was loaded into the ambulance. Chin urged Kono to go with him. He could wrap things up there and join his colleagues at the hospital as soon as he could. He sighed as the ambulance pulled away. Steve was missing, Danny was hurt and their deadline was drawing close at an alarming speed.

There was going to be no sleep for the Five-O detectives that night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

The ER doctor was rushed off his feet. It seemed there had been a spate of accidents and illnesses and to Kono's distress, Danny was kept waiting for almost 20 minutes before he was seen. Time was of the essence, although the doctor could not be expected to know that. Had Steve been present, Kono did not doubt that his boss would have thrown his weight around and demanded that Danny was seen at once. However, he did request that Dr Bergman be contacted and ignored the look the nurse gave him that suggested he was pupule. She might be right, he mused, although not for the reasons she suspected.

The fluids that the paramedics had given him had already helped Danny. His leg was wrapped with pressure bandages and the bleeding had at least slowed dramatically, if not stopped. For the time being, he was in a light sleep, which Kono thought was probably the best thing for him. To say Danny had not had a good day was something of a whopping understatement. It had been a dreadful day and it was far from being over.

The doctor breezed into the room. "Car accident, right?" he asked generally and the nurse confirmed it. "Is he drunk?"

Bristling, Kono snapped, "Officer Williams is a Five-O detective! He was the passenger in the car when it was deliberately run off the road!"

Looking warily at the enraged Hawaiian, the doctor looked as though he was going to suggest that Kono wait outside, but the detective just scowled even harder and crossed his arms, moving protectively closer to his sleeping friend. He was not leaving Danny alone with this over-worked doctor who seemed to draw conclusions before getting all the facts.

Fortunately, the doctor backed down. "I understand," he nodded. "But I do need to know the circumstances of the injury before I start."

Nodding, Kono stepped back. "I've sent for Doc Bergman," he informed the doctor. "When he gets here, you'll be free to attend to other patients."

It seemed that nobody on duty in Queens that night knew that Bergman treated the Five-O detectives. The doctor looked at Kono sideways. "This man is still alive."

"I'm well aware of that," Kono snarled. "Just look after him until Bergman gets here!" Why did Steve never have this kind of problem with doctors? Kono wondered. He sighed heavily as the doctor bent over the prone man on the gurney.

Fortunately for Kono's nerves, Bergman arrived fairly soon. He thanked the young doctor, listened to what he had learned so far, and then began the examination all over again. Danny, who was awake and protesting that he was fine, grumbled loudly about the repeated tests, but Bergman was not having any nonsense. "Just be quiet until I ask you something," he ordered. "Don't you know that I got out of my bed to come here?"

Chastised for the moment, Danny subsided. He agreed that his head was aching and his vision had slightly blurry, but it was fine now. Yes, his neck was a bit stiff and he hurt all over. The pins and needles in his right arm had gone, but the wrist was slightly swollen. Doc did not think it was broken, but he added an x-ray of it to the one of Danny's head. Kono took charge of Danny's weapon when Bergman ordered the nurse to cut his pants off so the wound on his leg could be examined.

"I only got those pants this morning!" Danny complained and it was music to Kono's ears. "I hope Chin brings my bag of clothes from the car!" Buying clothes in the middle of the night would be a problem and Danny did not want to run around in a pair of scrub pants all day.

The gash on Danny's leg was deep and jagged. It ran from just behind his knee down his calf and curved around to finish just above the ankle. By some miracle, it had missed the popliteal artery, but it was still sluggishly oozing blood as the bandages were peeled off. There was no doubt that stitches were required. A temporary dressing was applied so that Danny's x-rays could be taken and then Bergman numbed his leg and began to clean and stitch the wound.

"Where's Steve?" Bergman asked Kono in an undertone. Danny was dozing, the painkillers he had been given making him drowsy.

"He was kidnapped," Kono answered.

"I've got to find him," Danny mumbled.

"Not right now you don't," contradicted the crusty coroner. "You're going to stay right there till I finish sewing your leg back together, young man!" He flashed a meaningful look at Kono, who leaned over Danny.

"Just rest for the moment, bruddah," he urged. "We'll get da boss back." He placed his hand on Danny's shoulder and the shorter man relaxed under the pressure. He recognised an immovable force when he met one.

"We've got to get him back," Danny agreed.


	8. Chapter 8

Fortunately for Danny, Chin had rescued the bag of clothes. He stepped quietly into the room and peered over Bergman's shoulder as the doctor painstakingly stitched the gash in Danny's leg. The young second-in-command was sleeping again for the moment and the other two detectives elected to leave him that way and stepped into the corridor.

"There was no sign that Steve was thrown from the car," Chin reported. "We did find footprints and some paint flecks from a car. Che says they look like the paint flecks he took from the back of Steve's car, but we have to wait for confirmation on that. How's Danny?"

"Pretty good, considering how bad the crash was," Kono replied. "I don't think he's gonna be at the bandstand at 10 though."

"So it's up to us," Chin sighed. "You got any ideas?"

"I hoped you had," Kono admitted. They looked at each other. "I just hope da boss is still alive," Kono whispered.

"Me, too, bruddah," sighed Chin. "Me, too."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was 5am before Danny stirred from his drug-induced sleep. He glanced around, surprised to find himself in a hospital room. His last memory had been of the ER, while Bergman stitched his leg and Chin had arrived with the bag of clothes. Moving, pain shot along his nerve endings before settling into his lower right leg. The thin sheet which covered him did not hide the bulky bandages that covered his leg from mid-thigh to foot. Exploring further, Danny discovered that his right wrist was also bandaged and he guessed it must be sprained. The pain was muted for the moment, but he suspected it would be uncomfortably sharp when the drugs wore off. His head still throbbed dully.

It was only as he put his head back on the pillow that Danny remembered Steve! He shot upright, gasping aloud as his muscles protested such a violent action. He pushed that aside. What time was it? How long had he been asleep? Time was in short supply and he had just wasted who knew how many hours sleeping! Throwing aside the sheet, he stopped short, for his leg was not just bandaged, it was encased in a soft brace that prevented him from bending his knee. "What the hell…?" He fumbled for the call button and pressed it savagely.

"Where are my clothes?" he demanded when the nurse opened the door. "What time is it?"

"It's 5am," the nurse replied primly. "Please keep your voice down so you don't disturb other patients."

"Get my clothes," Danny ordered, aware that he was behaving badly, but so consumed with anxiety about the lost time that he could not find his manners.

"Keep it down, Danny," ordered a familiar voice and Danny glanced over the nurse's shoulder at Bergman, who advanced into the room looking sleepy and rumpled. Close behind, in a very similar state, were Kono and Chin.

"Doc, I have to get out of here," Danny explained. "I only have five hours left before I have to face Mickey and he has Steve. I have to find them before that."

"Calm down or I'll sedate you!" Doc threatened. "I'm well aware of what is going on. Let me look at you, and then we can talk."

Seething with impatience, Danny submitted to the doctor's examination. "Well?" he asked, with a touch more courtesy when Doc stepped back.

"Well, considering all that's happened to you in the last 24 hours, you're in remarkable condition," the crusty doctor replied. "However, you're not ready to run out and save the world just yet." He observed his patient's face fall and then spoke again before Danny could say anything else. "But in light of what is going on, I'm willing to release you for the moment. I want your promise that you will come back here when you have Steve back, though. That leg will need to be watched. You shouldn't be walking on it just yet."

"Thanks, doc," Danny breathed, his relief evident in both words.

"I'll send a nurse in to help you get dressed," Bergman went on. "You'll have to use crutches, though. Keep your weight off that leg. I'll give you a shot that…"

"No – no drugs." Danny was emphatic about it. "I can't have my mind muddled with drugs." He drew in a careful breath as he moved his leg. "It's up to me to get Steve back; it's because of me that he is missing right now. Where are my clothes?"

"I'll get the nurse to bring them and get you those crutches," Bergman replied and hurried from the room before his face could give him away. Danny clearly thought he was going to face his own death and his courage took the physician's breath away.

"Danny…" Kono began, but Danny was in no mood to be told this was not his fault.

"No, not now," he declared. "I need to speak to the governor. Can you arrange that while I get dressed? Have we any leads?"

"No," Kono replied, as Chin hurried from the room. "We haven't found a single trace of them."

"I don't know where that scum has gone to ground, but I swear we will know that before the day is over," Danny vowed. He slid from the bed, unprepared for the awakening of the pain, but knowing that he could not afford any more drugs. He had to be fully alert for this coming confrontation. There was no point in fooling himself that he would find Mickey and Steve. Wherever Mickey had been hiding for the last 24 hours, Danny was in no condition to physically trail around to try and find it. He would have to come up with some way to get Steve back and take Mickey down at the same time when they reached the bandstand. "I'll speak to the governor first, then we need to go out to the bandstand and look at the lay of the land," he informed Kono.

"Danny, you can't do this," Kono pleaded, knowing he was wasting his breath.

"Have you got any better ideas?" Danny asked. "Because if you have, God knows I'm willing to listen."

"No," Kono whispered and like Doc, he thought that Danny was preparing to face his own death. Taking a deep breath to bolster his own courage, Kono stepped forward to help Danny dress.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

"This is a mistake!" The Governor glared at Danny, who looked calmly back at him.

"Possibly, but it's the only chance we've got," Danny replied. He was too tired to argue with the man, but as Steve's direct boss, he had to be kept appraised of the situation.

Turning away from the young man who was sitting slouched in a chair with his injured leg awkwardly held out in front of him, Paul Jameson tried to think about the plan Danny had just presented to him. The biggest stumbling block to success was the fact that Danny himself was on crutches and should be in the hospital. His face was pinched and pale with pain, but his determination burned as brightly as Steve McGarrett's own. Jameson had to admit that part of his displeasure with the plan was the fact that he was holding this interview in his night clothes, which was not conducive to his dignity, but after a few moments, he realised he was being ridiculous.

There was a knock on the door and one of Jameson's security men brought in fresh coffee. Just the smell perked the Governor up and he quickly poured for both himself and Williams. A sip made him feel complete, but when he glanced back at the detective, he saw that Danny hadn't even picked the mug up.

There was no question that Jameson knew Danny's capabilities. Under normal circumstances, he would not hesitate to go along with whatever plan Danny proposed. That Danny was injured added a whole new twist to it, but he had to admit that this plan was clever. He took another sip of coffee, this time more reflectively, and then turned back to the impatiently waiting detective.

"All right," he agreed. "I'll issue the orders right now. What are you going to do?"

"Duke Lukela is going to get Jimmy Johnston from lock-up," Danny told him. "Chin and Kono are going to put our plans into place. I'm going to be on that bandstand before 10am, waiting for Mickey to show up."

Slowly, Jameson nodded. "Are you sure Steve is still alive?" he asked.

"He's still alive," Danny declared. He could not think otherwise. "Mickey Johnston wants me dead. He'll probably try and take Steve out, too, but his main target is me."

"You'll be wearing a flak jacket," Jameson said, but it was almost a question.

"Of course," Danny agreed and it was only after the young detective had crutched his way out of the room that Jameson wondered if he had just been lied to.


	9. Chapter 9

The park had been closed off. Danny sat in the car in the car park and mentally went through his plan one more time. He had to hope that it would work because they were almost out of time. He took a sip from the bottle of water that someone had handed him, then eased his way out of the car as the patrol car carrying jimmy Johnston pulled alongside.

"Bring him this way," Danny ordered and ignored the jubilant expression on the prisoner's face. He crutched slowly over to the bandstand, cursing his own weakness. "There." Danny was panting, in pain and exhausted, but there was no time to feel sorry for himself.

Obediently, the HPD officers led Jimmy over to one of the massive pillars and wrapped a long chain around it. The end was fastened to the chain belt locked around Jimmy's waist. The criminal sniggered. "What's the matter, pig?" he asked. "Am I too tough for you?" He tugged against the chains, straining to get closer to Danny, but the shorter man did not react. Jimmy was not going to get free of his bonds. "Mickey'll get me out of this and then you watch out!"

"You can go now, thanks," Danny offered to the patrolmen, who left reluctantly, looking back over their shoulders curiously.

Everything was now in place. All Danny could do was wait. He leaned heavily on his crutches, taking the weight off his injured wrist. What had he done to annoy the gods so that he was facing one of the most important moments of his life injured? He shook off the thought. He could not afford to be distracted. Steve's life depended on his plan going down perfectly.

It was already hot and humid and Danny blinked sweat from his eyes. He was standing with the water-edged side of the bandstand behind him, but there were trees all round offering cover for Mickey arriving. If the criminal was that way inclined, he could just shoot Danny down, retrieve his brother and the whole plan would fail.

Movement caught his eye and Danny dropped his crutches with a clatter. He couldn't be encumbered with them now. He straightened up unconsciously and tugged the bandage from his sprained wrist. He forced himself to take some deep, calming breaths as Mickey Johnston appeared from the park side of the trees, pushing a bedraggled, blood-stained Steve McGarrett in front of him.

"Mickey!" Jimmy shouted. "I knew you wouldn't let me down!"

"Shut up!" Danny snapped.

"I wouldn't talk to my brother like that if I were you," Mickey warned. He had a gun to Steve's head and the boss of Five-O had his hands restrained behind him and was gagged. "I would like nothing better than to blow a hole in this one's head."

"What's stopping you?" Danny asked bitterly. He flashed a glance at Steve and collected the slightest of nods in return. Steve was all right – comparatively – and trusted Danny to get him out of this mess.

"My brother is over there and I want him here." Mickey had yet to take his eyes off Danny.

"You'd better come and get him, then," Danny replied. "Oh – but I forgot. He's locked to that pillar and I don't have the keys."

"I don't believe that," Mickey replied, pushing the gun harder against Steve's head.

"Believe what you want, it's true." It was true. Danny did not have the keys. Kono had them. "Jimmy isn't going anywhere with you."

That had the desired response, although it was the diciest bit of the whole plan, almost. Mickey could kill Steve on the spot. However, despite his jaw tightening, Mickey was not going to do anything rash. "You're wrong, Williams. Jimmy is coming with me and so are you."

"You can have me," Danny agreed. "You can have me in exchange for Steve." He held his hands out to show that he was unarmed.

Puzzled, sure it was a trap but not sure how it was going to be sprung, Mickey opted to push McGarrett closer. "You and Jimmy," he declared. "And we're going to enjoy taking you apart, Williams."

"If you want Jimmy, you'd better come up here and get him, then," Danny goaded. He was starting to shake now and sweat beaded his face.

"This pig ain't well," Jimmy called. "He's got crutches. He's a real pushover."

As malicious glee crossed Mickey's face, Danny saw Steve wince, but he didn't dare look at his boss to show this was part of the plan. Mickey had to take the bait; had to come on to the bandstand. "Shut up, Jimmy!" Danny snapped, as though he was annoyed about that titbit of information being passed on.

Close enough now to see into the shadowy, covered interior, Mickey could see that Danny was battered. He grinned. He could take this cop down easy, get Jimmy and kill McGarrett and then this island would really be theirs. Nobody would stand against them. They wouldn't need to hide out any more. The sky was the limit. He thought of the cave where he had been holed up for the last day. He would never need to use the emergency hideout again. Giving Steve a push, he started to mount the steps.

Slowly, one careful step at a time, Danny retreated until he was standing beside Jimmy. He dropped his hands casually to his sides. His .22 nestled in his pants pocket within easy reach, should he need it. He just hoped his hands would be steady enough to make the shot count. Mickey followed him, one step at a time. "Don't move!" he warned Danny when it seemed that the detective would retreat out of the bandstand.

With a sudden shove, Mickey tossed McGarrett aside and the Five-O chief fell to his knees and then to the ground, barely able to prevent himself tumbling down the steps that circled the structure. As Mickey grabbed at him, Danny yelled, "NOW!"

A trapdoor in the floor sprang open and HPD men poured out. Mickey, with one hand on Danny, tugged frantically at the chain that bound Jimmy, but realised that it was secure. With a snarl, he threw all his weight against the injured detective and the pair tumbled down the steps and splashed into the pool at the bottom.

Danny knew that help was right there, that he didn't need to worry, but in his weakened condition, he was aware that Mickey could kill him before anyone got to him. He struggled to reach his gun, but Mickey had grabbed his wrist and the pain exploded in his head and his thoughts scattered to the four winds. Dimly, he realised he was under water.

As his head broke the surface and he gasped in air, Danny punched ineffectually at the bigger man. He could hear shooting and wondered if someone was trying to take Mickey out, but there seemed to be a lot more shooting than just a sniper would cause. He barely gasped in a lungful of air before he was plunged back under the water again.

Up on the bandstand, the cops were involved in a shootout with the members of Mickey's gang who had not been captured a couple of days previously. They had been hiding in the park, and now came to try to rescue their leaders. It was a desperate battle and one that the criminals were not destined to win.

"Get Steve out of here!" Kono shouted to Chin as they emerged from the surprisingly large storage room that lay under the bandstand. Most people did not know of its existence.

"Danny…"

"I'll get Danny!" Kono assured him and rushed down the steps towards the figures struggling in the water.

Ducking and weaving, Chin reached McGarrett in time to throw himself over his boss to stop him from getting up. "Stay down," he urged and reached to untie the gag.

"Danno," Steve croaked.

"Kono's getting him," Chin assured the boss and felt around for his handcuff keys to free Steve's hands. There was a gash on Steve's head and it looked as though his nose had been bleeding, too. The boss's wrists were chafed by the handcuffs and he seemed exhausted. It could have been much worse.

"Clear!" came the shout, confirming what the lack of shooting had told them all. The operation was over. Now, they just had to find out if it had been entirely successful. Chin sat up and looked around, helping Steve to a sitting position.

There were bodies littered everywhere. One of the HPD men was down, clutching his upper arm, but the injury looked superficial. The police were cautiously moving amongst the downed men, checking for pulses and removing the weapons from reach. Jimmy cowered on the floor by the pillar he was chained to. Chin stood and helped Steve get up, sensing that the taller man was not very steady on his feet.

There was no sign of Danny, Kono or Mickey.


	10. Chapter 10

Somehow, Danny managed to yank his injured wrist free. He kicked away from Mickey and managed to get his head above the surface again. As he gulped in air, he fumbled for the silver .22 and pulled it from his pocket. He brought it up, but Mickey was too quick for him. Catching Dan's wrist once more, he slowly but inexorably turned the small weapon against its owner.

Death was staring him in the face. Danny hated to go out like this, but he had the comforting thought that Steve was safe and that was all that counted. That had been the point of this whole exercise and Danny had known from the start that he might well have to trade his life for Steve's. Still, he was not going down without a fight. He pushed back against the pressure on his arm, despite the agonising pain.

Suddenly, there was an enraged grizzly bear in the water with them. Danny wondered vaguely where it had come from as he was once more submerged beneath the now-muddy waters of the ornamental pool. The grip on his wrist vanished and Mickey was suddenly not holding him down. Fighting his way back to the surface, Danny was just in time to intercept a crushing punch from a large fist that knocked him, dazed, back into the water.

Despite himself, Danny inhaled. He knew it was wrong, but there was nothing he could do to stop it happening. His thoughts were as muddy as the water. He sensed he was going the wrong way – down instead of up – but he couldn't find the wherewithal to correct his drift. He's always heard that drowning was a peaceful death, but he had no desire to prove the theory.

He didn't have to worry. A large hand grabbed his arm and he found himself back in the air, with Kono clutching him to his broad chest. Danny coughed and then puked up a mouthful of water before coughing some more. He was vaguely aware of being carried and then he felt the hard, wonderful ground beneath his back and knew that somehow, against the odds, he had survived.

"Danno!"

That familiar voice was the utmost comfort and Danny forced his eyes open to look at his friend. Steve looked battered and tired, but he was alive and in one piece. More than that, Danny did not ask at this moment. He tried to speak, started to cough and a few moments later brought up more water. Steve supported him, gently rubbing his back while he choked, then laid Danny back down on the ground.

"Don't try to speak," Steve cautioned him. "You're going to be fine." He hoped that his injured officer was too out of it to read any expression on his face that said he thought he might be lying. Danny seemed in a very bad way. He was barely conscious, his right wrist was enormously swollen and he was bleeding from his leg. Steve glanced up at a soaked Kono, who looked even more anxious than Steve felt.

"Gun," Danny coughed.

"I got your gun, bruddah," Kono assured him. He had snatched the .22 from Danny's hand just before Mickey had managed to turn it fully on the hapless detective.

"No." Danny forced his eyes open, squinting against the bright sunlight. "Mickey… gun." He struggled to form the words as exhaustion swept over him, leaving him limp. "Water."

"Is Mickey's gun in the water?" Steve asked.

"Yeah… yeah," Danny sighed. He closed his eyes again.

Glancing up at the men surrounding them, Steve collected nods from various people. They would drag the pond for Mickey's gun. They would need it for ballistics checks. Steve felt proud that his man had thought of that, even in the depths of extremis. "Ambulance?" he asked quietly and Duke nodded.

"On the way," the sergeant replied. "Dr Bergman is standing by."

"Good." Steve felt he could relax now as he watched the Johnston brothers being dragged away in handcuffs. Mickey was soaking to the skin, covered in mud and swearing up a storm. Steve ignored him. He did not want to think about his time as that man's hostage. It would all come out soon enough and until then, he wanted nothing more than a hot shower, a good meal and some sleep. He looked down at the young detective he held almost cradled in his arms. The only other thing he needed was to know that Danno would be all right.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Where's the leg brace?" Doc asked as yet another pair of Danny's pants was consigned to the trash.

"Um… in the car?" Kono hazarded. He really didn't have a clue, as he hadn't seen Danny remove the brace before he went to hide under the bandstand.

"For goodness sake!" Doc was angry, but he was also deeply concerned. Danny had barely stirred when he was brought in from the ambulance. He was soaking wet, slightly blue around the lips and bleeding heavily. "All those stitches have burst," he snapped at Kono, as though it was Kono's fault. Kono, shivering in the coolness of the examination room, wondered guiltily if he might not have been the partial cause of the damage.

After a second, Doc glanced at Kono. "You're soaking," he added accusingly. "Go and get dried off!"

"I promised Steve I'd keep an eye on Danny," Kono chattered.

Rolling his eyes, Doc went over to the cupboard and got out a blanket, which he handed to the shivering man. "Put this round you," he suggested in a more kindly tone. "We don't want you getting pneumonia."

"Mahalo," Kono mumbled and pulled the wool around his shoulders. It felt great.

"Danny, wake up," Bergman ordered. "Danny."

With a sigh, Danny peeled his eyelids open. "Hey, doc," he whispered. "I said I'd come back."

"I wanted you back in one piece," Doc commented wryly.

His patient frowned. "I'm in one piece," he protested. "Aren't I?" He lifted his head to glance down the length of his body and the movement was enough to make his head spin. He dropped it back with a groan and swallowed heavily. He had no desire to puke for a third time that day.

"Not quite," Doc chuckled. He quickly established an IV and then took a closer look at the water-swelled tissue on Danny's leg. He tentatively poked it and Danny all but levitated off the bed as his nerve-endings, cocooned by his close brush with drowning, decided to come back to life. "Guess you felt that, huh?" he asked, not unkindly. Danny nodded, biting his lip to try and conquer the pain. "Here, this will make you feel better." Doc injected something into the IV. Kono, watching with interest, saw Danny's face relax after a few moments. "Kono, why don't you go and find something dry to wear," Doc suggested in a tone that clearly told the larger man that it was an order. "I've got some stitching and x-rays to do here."

"Okay," the big man agreed amiably. He didn't really want to watch Doc stitch Danny's leg all over again – he'd already done that once on this day. "I'll go and see how Steve is."

"Good idea." Bergman had passed his other Five-O patient to an ER doctor on the grounds that he had already dealt with Danny's injuries and knew what to expect – kind of. He had not expected burst stitches and near-drowning and a probable broken wrist. There again – Doc paused in his work to blink moisture from his eyes – he hadn't really expected to see Danny still alive. He had honestly thought that both Danny and Steve would not come out of the stand-off alive and he was determined to find out exactly how Danny had pulled off this miracle. Taking a deep breath, he continued working.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

In the next room along, Steve was watching the doctor through heavy-lidded eyes. He had been distressed that all his strength seemed to have vanished by the time the ambulance had arrived at the bandstand. He could barely stand without help and walking was just impossible. He had reluctantly agreed to ride on a gurney and shook off the attentions of the paramedics, far more concerned for Danny than he was for himself. So what if it was over 24 hours since he had slept? Who cared that he hadn't eaten or drunk for 12 hours? So he had a concussion – what did it matter? The only person Steve was concerned about lay silently on the other gurney, more unconscious than not and clearly in a bad way. However, Steve's weakness had not allowed him to follow Danny into the examination room and he now lay here clad in a hospital gown, hooked up to an IV while the doctor poked and prodded him.

"Kono!" Steve half-sat up before the doctor could push him back down again. "How's Danno?"

"Sleeping," Kono replied. "He's gonna be okay, boss."

"Are you sure?" Steve didn't doubt his detective's word, but he had to double check.

"Yeah, Doc just sewing his leg back together again," Kono explained. "He's gonna be here for a few days, though." Steve had been told part of the story while they waited for the ambulance.

"What was he thinking?" McGarrett demanded with a flush of anger mixing through his worry. "Going up against Mickey Johnston in that condition?"

"He wanted to get you back safe and sound," replied the Hawaiian.

"It was a risk…"

"A risk he thought was worth taking," Kono concluded and Steve blinked. "We thought so, too, boss." He shook his head. "Da kaikaina – he thought up the whole plan. It was almost like he knew exactly what Mickey would do. He had the men hide out below the bandstand real early, waiting for his signal."

Touched, but still shaken by Danny's close call, McGarrett opted to half-change the subject. "I don't know what the governor is going to say," he muttered.

"I think he's already said it," responded the big man. "He already held a press conference." He smiled slightly. "Five-O and HPD were given joint credit for taking Mickey down." The smile faded away. "But I don't think he was too happy that Danny didn't have on his flak jacket." Chin had reported that when he arrived at the hospital a short time before. The significance of the Governor's remark escaped both men.

Thinking of Chin seemed to conjure him, for he stepped into the room a few minutes later. "Hi, boss," he smiled. "The Johnstons are all squared away and all the charges are laid. Walter Stuart says there won't be a problem in making them stick and thinks their lawyer will advise them to plead guilty in the hopes of getting a reduced sentence that way. Officer Keno is fine and already on his way home. There were five of the Johnston gang killed; four others were wounded; two are staying here overnight and the other two have already been discharged and taken to the lock-up."

"Why are you telling me?" Steve asked. Chin looked confused. "Danno was the officer in charge for this caper; you should be reporting to him."

A broad grin split Chin's face. "He's asleep," the Chinese detective replied. "And since the first half of the caper was yours, I thought you should hear it. I had to report to somebody," he concluded with a sly smile.

"And now you've done that, you can both go," the doctor announced. "I was warned about you. Mr McGarrett will be here overnight for observation. He's being taken to a room right now and you can both go home."

"But…" Steve began to protest, but the doctor ignored him. As an orderly came in, Steve gave way with what little grace he could manage. "You two go home and get some sleep," he ordered. "I'll keep an eye on Danno."

"You're going to be sleeping!" the doctor informed him, but Steve simply rolled his eyes. He was not going to sleep until he saw his second-in-command and knew that he was going to be all right.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

It was over an hour later that Steve was roused from a light sleep. The door to his room opened and a gurney was pushed in. Steve watched with interest as a sleeping Danny was transferred to the bed, his leg bandaged from hip to toes and fitted in another soft brace. He was hooked up to an IV bottle of fluids, a small bag that Steve guessed was antibiotics and a bag of blood. An oxygen mask covered the lower portion of his face, but he was sleeping peacefully enough. His right wrist was in a cast and supported by a pillow.

After seeing his patient settled, Bergman crossed to Steve's side. "You were lucky," he commented to the lead detective and Steve was not sure if the doctor was referring to Danny's survival or his own.

"Yes," he agreed. He had yet to give his statement to anyone about what happened when Mickey took him, but knew he would have to face that in the morning. It was something he did not look forward to, but it was necessary, especially to make certain of the charges stick. McGarrett was only too aware of how vulnerable and helpless he had been at Mickey's hands and the thought still troubled him. "Why did Danno do it?"

"Probably for the same reason I agreed to let him leave the hospital at 5am," Bergman replied. "For the same reason that Kono and Chin are still here, instead of being at home like you told them. Oh don't worry," he added as Steve opened his mouth to say something. "I sent them on their way in two separate patrol cars with strict orders to the drivers that they are to go home and only to go home. HPD can handle anything that comes along until tomorrow morning. You need to get some rest now. Danny will sleep until the morning and he'll be fine. A few weeks of recuperation and he'll be back to his old self."

"What did you mean – the same reason you let him leave?" Steve asked, still not sure he understood.

Heaving a sigh, Bergman closed his eyes for a moment. "Steve, you're arrogant, stiff-necked, always right and downright bossy to boot – and those are just your virtues." The older man smiled. "Damned if I know why, but we all seem to quite like you. Now you think about that while you catch up on your sleep. You have a concussion, remember?" He turned and quickly left the room.

Frowning, Steve turned to take a look at his sleeping detective. Danny's face was slightly turned towards him, displaying the bruising from the other night. He could hardly believe all the things that had happened in such a short space of time. He smiled as Danny's eyes opened briefly, but it was clear that his friend was not processing anything and after a moment, the lids closed again.

Putting his head back on the pillow, Steve thought about what Bergman had said and a warm glow lit his heart. His staff liked him. As he drifted away, he thought he would have to have a word with them about thinking he was arrogant, stiff-necked and bossy. Where did they get those weird ideas from? Him? Bossy?

PAU


End file.
